Polishing machine



Sept. 23 1924. 1,509,447

B. c. SKINNER w POLISHING MACHINE Filed Feb. 25, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

m 6, WW 3% 4; ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 23, 1924.

B.C. SKINNER POLISHING MACHINE Filed Feb. 23, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

' INVENTOR.

.24; ATTORNEYS.

BY MY 3% I so Patented Sept. 23, 1924.

UNITED. sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

IBRQIN'SON o. SKINNER, or DUNEDIN, FLORIDA, ASSIGNOR TO sxr'nnn'amacnmnmr COMPANY, or. DUNEDIN, FLORIDA, A CORPORATION or FLORIDA.

POLISHING MACHINE.

Application filed February 23, 1924. Serial No. 894,578.

To all whom it may concern: I Be it known that I, BRONSON C. SKINNER,

a citizen of'the United States, residing at Dunedin, in the county of Pinellas and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Polishing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements inpoli'shers, particularly that type of polisher designed for conveying, brushing and polishing of fruits in general, particularly oranges, apples, lcmons,grapefruit and the like. i

It is'customary to employ an apparatus consisting of parallel spaced spiral convey ing brushes all driven in the same direction, at the same-speed, providing between adjacent brushes runways in which the fruit settlesdurinthe polishing and conveying operation. 11 an over supply of fruit being delivered to an apparatus of the abovementioned type, therotation of the brushes all in the same direction tends to crowd the fruit toward one side of the apparatus and to throw thesame against the edge of the side rail or flare board, bruising the skin and permanently injuring the fruit, resulting in serious loss to the packer.

- The present invention relatesto an improvement in the spiral brush parallel spaced roll polisher, which will overcome the in- 'uring .and bruising of the fruit due to its eing thrown against the side rail or flare board of an apparatus during its operation.

The invention consists essentially in providing adjacent that side of the apparatus toward which the-brushes revolve a suitable buii'er brush the periphery of which is raised in a plane above the horizontal plane of the regular conveying and polishing brushes, affording a buifing cushion and repel lent for the fruitprojected thereagainst; to provide a brush of the above-mentioned type-rotated in the same direction as the regular conveying and polishing brushes and which due to. its rotation deflects the fruit projected against the same'in a direction toward the conveyin and polishing brushes. I

'With t e above-mentioned and other ob jects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in'the accompanying drawings, and set forth in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion,

size and minor details of construction with in the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacany of the advantages of 'the invention.

To more fully comprehend the invention, reference is directed to "the accompanying drawings, wherein -Fig. 1 is a view in top plan of the preferred embodiment of my apparatus, with the drivinggear case covers removed.

Fig 2 is a longitu inal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on line 3 3, Fig. 2.

In the drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts,

1 indicates a suitable open top frame car fied on legs 2 and mounting at its ends transverse roller supports 3, one dispjosed'in a plane slightly below the other. ach of the supports?) mounts a-plurality of bearings 4, corresponding bearings of eachsupport being disposed with their bearing a ertures in alignment. Rotatably mounte at opposite ends in respective end bearing supports 4, are the rollers5 provided on their peripheral surface with spirally disposed brush surfaces (Sextending the full length thereof. The upper ends of rollers 5 each carry stub shafts 7 independently connected to a drive shaft 8 through beveled gear driv ing connections 9, each connection being mounted in a gear box 10.- It will be ob served that the rotation of the shaft 8'in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, will cause a simultaneous rotation of the rollers 5, all

inthe same direction as illustrated by the arrows in Figure 3.

Rotatably mounted at its ends in bearings to extend parallel with the roller 5' at the side of the apparatus toward which the rollers 5 rotate, is an auxiliary roller 11 disposed in a plane above the rollers and mounting on its surface a brush consisting of annular rows of tufts 12. The roller 11 is rotated in a direction correspondin to that of rollers 5 through a pinion 13 drlven off the last roller 5 and which intermeshes 4 spaced downwardly directing fruit onto the brushes. 4

Itwill be observed that the rotation of the brushes 6 and 12 in thedirection of the arrows Fig. 3 will cause a conveying and polishing of the fruit resting thereon, and that the fruit conveyed by the last brush 6 of the series against the brush 12 will, due to the elevation of the brush 12'above the plane of the brushes 6,-be repelled thereby and be prevented from piling u and becoming inj red by striking the e go of the flare board l6.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A fruit treating apparatus, comprising a bed formed ofa series of parallel spaced downwardly inclined rotatably mounted brushes disposed in substantially the same plane, means for rotating the brushes in the same direction, a rotatable bufier brush arranged at one side of the series with its periphery elevated above the surface of the bed, and means for rotating said latter I brush.

2. A fruit treating apparatus, compris? 'ing a bed formed of a series of parallel mounted brushes disposed in substantially the same plane, means for rotating the side of the in a planeyabove the horiv brushes in the same direction, a rotatable bufler brush arranged at one side of the series with its periphery elevated above the surface of the bed, and means for rotating all of the brushes in the same direction.

3. A fruit cleaning and polishing apparatus, comprising a bed consisting of a plurality of inclined rotatably mounted brushes disposedin parallel spaced relation with the upper surface in substantially the same plane, a buifer brush disposed at one the highest ends of inclined rotatably zontal plane of the brushes forming the bed, and means for rotating the brushes of the bed in a direction toward the buffer brush.

4. A fruit cleaning and polishing ap aratus, comprising a bed consisting of a p u rality of inclined rotatably mounted brushes disposed in parallel spaced relation with the upper surface in substantially the same plane, a buffer brush disposed at one side of the bed in a plane above the horizontal plane of the brushes forming the bed, means for rotating the brushes of the bed in a direction toward the buffer brush, and means for rotating the buffer brush.

5. A fruit cleaning and polishing apparatus, comprising a fruit supporting bed, consisting of a plurality of rotatable brushes, a buffer member disposed parallel with one side of the bed with its upper surface in a plane above the bed, means for rotating the bed forming brushes and the buffer in the same direction, and means for directing the fruit to be polished onto the bed at one end.

6. A fruit cleaning and polishing apparatus, comprising a fruit supporting bed, consisting of a plurality of rotatably mounted members disposed in substantially the same inclined plane and each provided with a spiral fruit conveying surface, means for rotating said brushes in the same direction, a rotatable brush extending parallel with one side of the bed and disposed in a plane above the cleaning and polishing brushes to provide a buffer wall longitudinally of that side-of the bed toward which said bed forming brushes rotate, means for rotating said latter brush, and means for directing fruit onto the bed at one end.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

BRONSON o. SKINNER. 

